Dealing with Boredom: How to Break the Rut of Idleness with Purpose

It can be easy to get stuck in a rut in your everyday life, which makes dealing with boredom tricky. Between your job, your family, your typical routine and a complete lack of free time, life can get really boring. The reality is that life is way too short to spend your days just passing the time. And there’s never been a better time to find your purpose and start enjoying your life, and we’re not just talking about closing your email inbox for 10 minutes and browsing different gossip websites on your computer. That’s a distraction, not a way to break away from boredom. It’s a quick fix, not a solution. And if you don’t fix your boredom, there could be serious consequences. A recent study indicated that boredom could lead to other risky behavior and potential health complications, especially heart risks, in the future. Dr. Christopher Cannon, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard University explains, “someone who is bored may not be motivated to eat well, exercise, and have a heart-healthy lifestyle. That may make them more likely to have a cardiovascular event.”

In other words, boredom is bad. In case you didn’t already know. So how do you pull yourself out of the rut of your everyday routine and ditch your mundane habits so you can start living? It’s not easy, since it’s usually easier to stick to what you know, rather than trying something new. But once you accept that it will take some effort to embrace your passions, you’re in a pretty good position to get started.